Opposite here you can see one of the oldest pubs in Guildford, The Three pigeons which dates from the mid 1700s. It is said to be haunted!

During the 16th and 17th century corn merchants did their trade on the groundfloor off the guildhall and the space had been used for a multitude of events over the years.

The bell clock : It displays an original date of 1683 you can just about see there. The case is made of English oak, it has a cast iron internal frame and copper dials. Conservation work included refinishing and regilding with 23 ½ carat gold. The size is 1.5 by 2.5 metres. It has been in the care of Smith of Derby for many years, which refurbished it most recently in 2014.

Here we have the forementioned George Abbot hospital. It was built in the 1600s using bricks and tiles from Cranleigh and timber from Chiddingfold. Originally there would have been 12 brothers and 8 sisters under the rule of a master. They were expected to run the hospital. They would have attended holy trinity church regularly. The men worked in the kitchen garden and did manual jobs while the sisters cleaned, cooked and nursed the elderly they had in their care. They wore distinctive hopistal blue caps and gowns made from Guildford blue cloth and were paid 2 shilling and 6 pence a day. It’s now an old people’s home for up to 30 residence and there are 12 single occupancy flats and 9 terraced flats for couples.

Access into the castle gardens, royal bowls green, and moat area of the castle keep. The castle was built by William the conqueror or one if his barons shortly after the Norman invasion of 1066. It was used as a royal residence and fortress but it was never attacked. It became a prison in 1256 under Henry III when the sheriff of Guildford has custody of the castle and continued so until 1487. In 1885 the Lord Grantley of Wonersh sold the castle and grounds to the Guildford Coperation. The tower and walls were restored and opened to the public as a pleasure garden in 1888, following queen victoria’s golden jubilee.

Learn about the Kings and Queens that visited Guildford castle as well the prisoners it held in the castle keep

Bridge by the White House: This bridge stands over the river Wey. There are often markets along here in the summer. The River Wey was one of the first British rivers to be made navigable and was opened to barge traffic in 1653. A 20 mile route between Godalming and the Thames was created as a highway to London for trade. Barges drawn by horse would carry up to 30 tons. Oak went to the Thames for shipbuilding and corn went to the mills along the water ways. That’s just an example of the trade that occurred. It passes through heathland, woodland and water meadow with species of interest including snipe, lapwing and kingfisher breeding.

The Weyside restaurant: The final stop.